Grants & Awards
Over 50 upcoming deadlines and 159 recent winners.
Aesthetica
CREATIVE WRITING AWARD
Two prizes of £1,000 (approximately $1,235) each and publication in the Aesthetica Creative Writing Annual are given annually for a poem and a short story. The winner in poetry also receives a membership to the Poetry Society in London, and the winner in short fiction receives a consultation with the literary agency Redhammer Management. Both winners receive a subscription to Granta and a selection of books from Bloodaxe Books and Vintage Books. Submit a poem of up to 40 lines with a £12 (approximately $15) entry fee or a short story of up to 2,000 words with an £18 (approximately $22) entry fee by August 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Aesthetica, Creative Writing Award, P.O. Box 371, York, YO23 1WL, United Kingdom. writing@aestheticamagazine.com www.aestheticamagazine.com/creative-writing -award
Aspen Words
LITERARY PRIZE
A prize of $35,000 is given annually for a book of fiction published in the current year that “illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture.” The winner also receives an all-expenses paid trip to attend the 2021 Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival in Aspen, Colorado, as a featured speaker and the Aspen Words annual benefit dinner as a guest of honor. Novels, story collections, and translations of books of fiction published in the United States in 2020 are eligible. Publishers may submit the required entry form with a $60 entry fee by August 1. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Aspen Words, Literary Prize, 110 East Hallam Street, Suite 116, Aspen, CO 81611. (970) 925-3122, ext. 5. Ellie Scott, Contact. literary.prize@aspeninstitute.org
www.aspenwords.org/programs/literary-prize
Baton Rouge Area Foundation ERNEST J. GAINES AWARD FOR LITERARY EXCELLENCE
A prize of $15,000 is given annually to an emerging African American writer for a book of fiction published in the current year. The winner also receives travel and lodging expenses to attend an awards ceremony and participate in educational outreach events in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in January 2021. Submit eight copies (or bound galleys) of a short story collection or a novel published in 2020 by August 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines. Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence, 100 North Street, Suite 900, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. (225) 387-6216. Lois Smyth, Donor Services Officer. gainesaward@braf.org
www.ernestjgainesaward.org
Black Lawrence Press
ST. LAWRENCE BOOK AWARD
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Black Lawrence Press is given annually for a debut collection of poems or short stories. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a poetry manuscript of 45 to 95 pages or a fiction manuscript of 120 to 280 pages with a $25 entry fee by August 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Black Lawrence Press, St. Lawrence Book Award, 279 Claremont Avenue, Mount Vernon, NY 10552. www.blacklawrence.com/submissions-and -contests/the-st-lawrence-book-award
Black Warrior Review
WRITING CONTESTS
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Black Warrior Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Paul Tran will judge in poetry, Lucy Corin will judge in fiction, and Mayukh Sen will judge in nonfiction. Using only the online submission system, submit up to three poems of any length or a story or essay of no more than 7,000 words with a $20 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Black Warrior Review, by September 1. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Black Warrior Review, Writing Contests, University of Alabama, Office of Student Media, P.O. Box 870170, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. blackwarriorreview@gmail.com
www.bwr.ua.edu
Comstock Review
MURIEL CRAFT BAILEY AWARD
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review is given annually for a single poem. Patricia Smith will judge. Submit up to five poems of no more than 40 lines each with a $27.50 entry fee (or $5 per poem via postal mail) by July 15. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Comstock Review, Muriel Craft Bailey Award, 4956 Saint John Drive, Syracuse, NY 13215.
www.comstockreview.org
Delaware Division of the Arts
INDIVIDUAL ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS
Established Professional Fellowships of $6,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $3,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers who have lived in Delaware for at least one year prior to application and who are not enrolled in a degree-granting program. Using only the online submission system, submit an artist’s statement, a résumé, and 15 to 20 pages of poetry or prose by August 3. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Delaware Division of the Arts, Individual Artist Fellowships, 820 North French Street, Wilmington, DE 19801. Roxanne Stanulis, Coordinator. roxanne.stanulis@delaware.gov
arts.delaware.gov/grants-for-artists
Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales
POETRY PRIZE
A prize of $500, publication by Broadkill River Press, 10 author copies, and two cases of Dogfish Head craft beer are given annually for a poetry collection written by a poet living in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York,
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., or West Virginia. The winner is expected to attend a reading and award ceremony at the Dogfish Inn in Lewes, Delaware, on December 12. Lodging is provided, but travel expenses are not included. Edgar Kunz will judge. Submit via e-mail a manuscript of 48 to 78 pages by August 15. There is no entry fee. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
(SEE RECENT WINNERS.) Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales, Poetry Prize, c/o Broadkill River Press, P.O. Box 63, Milton, DE 19968. Linda Blaskey, Contest Coordinator. dogfishheadpoetryprize@earthlink.net
www.broadkillriverpress.com
Dogwood
LITERARY AWARDS
Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Dogwood are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Submit up to three poems totaling no more than 10 pages or up to 22 pages of prose with a $10 entry fee by September 5. Visit the website for complete guidelines. (SEE RECENT WINNERS.)
Dogwood, Literary Awards, Fairfield University, English Department, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. (203) 254-4000, ext. 2565. Sonya Huber, Editor. shuber@fairfield.edu
www.dogwoodliterary.com
Ex Ophidia Press
POETRY BOOK PRIZE
A prize of $1,000, publication by Ex Ophidia Press, and 15 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Sharon Cumberland, Gregory C. Richter, and Richard-Gabriel Rummonds will judge. Submit a manuscript of 84 to 124 pages with a $25 entry fee by August 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines. (SEE RECENT WINNERS.) Ex Ophidia Press, Poetry Book Prize, 220 Parfitt Way SW, Apt 111, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110. (360) 385-9966. Richard-Gabriel Rummonds, Publisher.
exophidiapress.org
F(r)iction
SHORT STORY CONTEST
A prize of $1,000 is given three times a year for a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit a story of 1,000 to 7,500 words with a $15 entry fee by July 31. The winning story and all entries are considered for publication in F(r)iction. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
F(r)iction, Short Story Contest, 13999 County Road 102, Elbert, CO 80106.
www.frictionlit.org/contests
Gemini Magazine
FLASH FICTION CONTEST
A prize of $1,000 and publication in Gemini Magazine is given annually for a short short story. The editors will judge. Submit a story of up to 1,000 words with a $6 entry fee by August 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Gemini Magazine, Flash Fiction Contest, P.O. Box 1485, Onset, MA 02558. (339) 309-9757. David Bright, Editor. editor@gemini-magazine.com
www.gemini-magazine.com
Gival Press
SHORT STORY AWARD
A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Gival Press website is given annually for a short story. Submit a story of 5,000 to 15,000 words with a $25 entry fee by August 8. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Gival Press, Short Story Award,
P.O. Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203. (703) 351-0079. Robert Giron, Editor. givalpress@yahoo.com
www.givalpress.com
Grayson Books
POETRY PRIZE
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Grayson Books is given annually for a poetry collection. Brian Clements will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 50 to 90 pages with a $25 entry fee by August
15. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Grayson Books, Poetry Prize, P.O. Box 270549, West Hartford, CT 06127. (860) 523-1196. Ginny Connors, Publisher. gconnors@graysonbooks.com
www.graysonbooks.com
Grid Books
OFF THE GRID POETRY PRIZE
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Grid Books is given annually for a poetry collection by a writer over the age of 60. Marilyn Nelson will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of at least 50 pages with a $25 entry fee by August 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
(SEE RECENT WINNERS.) Grid Books, Off the Grid Poetry Prize, 24 Quincy Street, Somerville, MA 02143. info@grid-books.org
www.grid-books.org/off-the-grid-press
Gulf Coast
BARTHELME PRIZE FOR SHORT PROSE
A prize of $1,000 and publication in
Gulf Coast is given annually for a work of short prose. Submit a prose poem, a piece of flash fiction, or a micro-essay of up to 500 words with an $18 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Gulf Coast, by August 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
PRIZE IN TRANSLATION
A prize of $1,000 and publication in
Gulf Coast is given in alternating years for a group of poems or a prose excerpt translated from any language into English. The 2020 prize will be given for poetry. Submit up to 10 pages of poetry translated into English and a copy of the original text with an $18 entry fee, which includes a subscription to Gulf Coast, by August 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Gulf Coast, University of Houston,
English Department, Houston, TX 77204. (713) 743-3223. Justin Jannise, Editor. editorinchief@gulfcoastmag.org
www.gulfcoastmag.org
Howling Bird Press
BOOK CONTEST
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Howling Bird Press is given in alternating years for a book of poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. The 2021 prize will be awarded in poetry. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript of 60 to 80 pages with a $25 entry fee by July 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
(SEE RECENT WINNERS.) Howling Bird Press, Book Contest, Augsburg University, 219 Memorial Hall, 2211 Riverside Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55454. James Cihlar, Publisher. cihlar@augsburg.edu
augsburg.edu/mfa/howling-bird-press
Journal of Experimental Fiction
KENNETH PATCHEN AWARD
A prize of $1,000 and publication by Journal of Experimental Fiction and JEF Books is given annually for an innovative novel. Submit a manuscript of any length with a $25 entry fee by July 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Journal of Experimental Fiction, Kenneth Patchen Award, Eckhard Gerdes Publishing, P.O. Box 6281, Aurora, IL 60598. Eckhard Gerdes, Contact. egerdes@experimentalfiction.com www.experimentalfiction.com/news /kenneth-patchen-award
Kallisto Gaia Press
POETRY AND SHORT FICTION PRIZES
Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in the Ocotillo Review are given annually for a poem and a short story. Chip Dameron will judge the Julia Darling Memorial Poetry Prize; Charlotte Gullick will judge the Chester B. Himes Memorial Short Fiction Prize. Submit up to three poems of no more than 65 lines each or a story of 1,000 to 2,400 words with a $20 entry fee, which includes a copy of Ocotillo Review, by August 20. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Kallisto Gaia Press, Poetry and Short Fiction Prizes, 1801 East 51st Street, Suite 365-246, Austin, TX 78723. Tony Burnett,
Managing Editor.
www.kallistogaiapress.org
Ledbury Poetry Festival
POETRY COMPETITION
A prize of £1,000 (approximately
$1,235); a course at Ty Newydd, the National Writing Centre of Wales; and publication on the Ledbury Poetry Festival website is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to read at the Ledbury Poetry Festival in Ledbury, England, in July 2021; travel expenses are not included. Liz Berry will judge. Submit a poem of up to 40 lines with a £5.75 entry fee (approximately $6), and £3.50 (approximately
$4) for each additional poem, by July 16. Visit the website for the required entry form and complete guidelines.
(SEE RECENT WINNERS.) Ledbury Poetry Festival, Poetry Competition, Master’s House, Bye
Street, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1EA, United Kingdom. Sandra Dudley, Finance Manager. finance@poetry-festival.co.uk www.poetry-festival.co.uk/ledbury-poetrycompetition
Masters Review
SHORT STORY AWARD FOR NEW WRITERS
A prize of $3,000 and publication in Masters Review is given twice yearly for a short story by a writer who has not published a novel (writers who have published story collections are eligible). The winning story will also be sent to literary agents from the Bent Agency, Carnicelli Literary Management, Compass Talent, Fletcher & Company, and Sobel Weber for review. Submit a short story of up to 6,000 words with a $20 entry fee by August 30. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Masters Review, Short Story Award for New Writers, 70 SW Century Drive, Suite 100442, Bend, OR 97702. contact@mastersreview.com mastersreview.com/short-story-award-for-new -writers
Munster Literature Centre FOOL FOR POETRY INTERNATIONAL CHAPBOOK COMPETITION
A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,090) and publication by the Munster Literature Center is given annually for a poetry chapbook. The winner will also receive accommodations to give a reading at the Cork International Poetry Festival in March 2021. Submit a manuscript of 16 to 24 pages with a €25 entry fee (approximately $27) by August 31. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
SEÁN Ó FAOLÁIN INTERNATIONAL SHORT
STORY COMPETITION
A prize of €2,000 (approximately $2,180) and publication in Southword is given annually for a short story. The winner also receives a weeklong residency at the Anam Cara Writer’s Retreat on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork and accommodation at the Cork International Short Story Festival. Billy O’Callaghan will judge. Submit a short story of up to 3,000 words with a €18 (approximately $20) entry fee by July 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines. Munster Literature Centre, Frank O’Connor House, 84 Douglas Street, Cork, Ireland.
www.munsterlit.ie
Narrative
SPRING STORY CONTEST
A prize of $2,500 and publication in
Narrative is given annually for a short story, a short short story, an essay, or an excerpt from a work of fiction or creative nonfiction. A second-place prize of $1,000 is also awarded. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a work of fiction or creative nonfiction of up to 15,000 words with a $27 entry fee by July 31. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
POETRY CONTEST
A prize of $1,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a poem or group of poems. The poetry editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit up to five poems with a $25 entry fee by July 17. All entries are considered for publication. Visit the website for complete guidelines.
Narrative, 2443 Fillmore Street, #214, San Francisco, CA 94115. Tom Jenks, Editor.
www.narrativemagazine.com